Given the shifts in the geopolitical landscape, connectivity is no longer just an economic tool – it has become a strategic instrument used for influence, resilience, and security, as China has demonstrated with its Belt and Road Initiative. The EU must understand that connectivity is central to its engagement with the Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries, where the EU faces growing competition not only from China’s BRI, but also from Russia’s infrastructure dominance, and Türkiye’s regional ambitions. This memo explores the new momentum that connectivity has gained as a part of the EU foreign policy in the EaP and examines its significance in the emerging new regional order. It assesses whether and how connectivity can be reframed as a strategic instrument for the EU’s engagement.

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